Final Project

For my final project, I wanted to work with this idea of how a dancer interacts with their stage as well as other dancers.  Using the XBox Kinect I tracked my movements while dancing to "Let It Die" by Feist.  I had then created a patch using Max5 that would both draw my movements within the space as well as constructed a code that I can then manipulate in an infinite amount of ways.
Below you can see the illustration that Max5 has drawn out that mimics my movements as well as the code that was created.  I eventually would like to take this image into Illustrator and manipulate it into a more complex and interesting design, which I would then have printed using a Laser Cutter.

Let It Die -- Feist

Max5 -- Code


0, 418.402466 59.056759;
1, 18.468525 1.765296;
2, 55.445435 5.236507;
3, 92.621475 8.723568;
4, 130.054245 12.355735;
5, 167.655945 16.134167;
6, 205.41803 20.1632;
7, 243.329803 24.481215;
8, 281.417969 29.117886;
9, 319.669617 34.082958;
10, 358.030762 39.40432;
11, 396.499329 45.070389;
12, 416.588257 49.310776;
13, 418.233398 52.202194;
14, 419.657562 55.314213;
15, 420.696106 58.679764;
16, 421.405945 62.373253;
17, 421.741547 66.359711;
18, 421.685974 70.639687;
19, 421.192535 75.247574;
20, 420.302917 80.163788;
21, 419.13974 85.173492;
22, 417.582153 90.529617;
23, 415.626709 96.225777;
24, 413.33194 102.250626;
25, 410.706818 108.964798;
26, 407.959625 115.98597;
27, 405.167725 123.206833;
28, 402.374847 130.561249;
29, 399.678772 137.791595;
30, 397.036438 145.018051;
31, 394.428528 152.208069;
32, 391.839996 159.534927;
33, 389.433655 166.756271;
34, 387.251892 173.812439;
35, 385.25769 180.675415;
36, 383.598389 187.062088;
37, 382.19281 193.185028;
38, 380.998444 198.924011;
39, 380.035889 204.380096;
40, 379.22287 209.749115;
41, 378.670471 214.759766;
42, 378.429108 219.439606;
43, 378.400604 223.677002;
44, 378.612061 227.421906;
45, 379.080933 230.744232;
46, 379.732056 233.628082;
47, 380.539368 236.046356;
48, 381.646637 237.985046;
49, 383.059021 239.684525;
50, 384.869934 241.01683;
51, 387.270142 241.946167;
52, 390.095978 242.557465;
53, 393.167175 242.92662;
54, 396.657318 243.231323;
55, 400.49881 243.487335;
56, 404.657623 243.742615;
57, 409.189331 244.036377;
58, 414.059448 244.43985;
59, 419.198303 244.990814;
60, 424.400848 245.544617;
61, 429.410278 246.110199;
62, 434.057404 246.789566;
63, 438.465515 247.582275;
64, 442.735901 248.441071;
65, 446.697327 249.299927;
66, 450.44165 250.165436;
67, 453.988159 250.992279;
68, 457.326904 251.766449;
69, 460.53418 252.469238;
70, 463.463684 253.053558;
71, 466.265747 253.581604;
72, 469.148041 254.058456;
73, 472.105438 254.390594;
74, 475.134064 254.582397;
75, 478.225525 254.66864;
76, 481.338257 254.671097;
77, 484.442566 254.596817;
78, 487.472534 254.444855;
79, 490.440002 254.19812;
80, 493.168213 253.835648;
81, 495.552795 253.377625;
82, 497.619019 252.837509;
83, 499.107178 252.224503;
84, 499.986328 251.609985;
85, 500.455811 251.066742;
86, 500.308655 250.552124;
87, 499.493073 250.012299;
88, 497.662415 249.408905;
89, 494.596252 248.754883;
90, 489.967926 248.110519;
91, 483.862305 247.507767;
92, 476.875 246.932617;
93, 469.256653 246.385284;
94, 461.558044 245.942902;
95, 453.862488 245.580185;
96, 445.974365 245.178757;
97, 438.185425 244.720108;
98, 430.575073 244.229004;
99, 423.315735 243.71405;
100, 416.738586 243.15744;

Cultural Event #3

Santa Fe Art Walk

            This past Friday I went to the Santa Fe Art Walk with my mom and sister.  My mom was visiting Denver so I decided that it would be fun to take her the view some art.  Another one of the main reasons I wanted to go was because some of the students within the eMad graduate program were doing a series of installations along the street.  Unfortunately, at the time I arrived one of the student pieces was not working correctly.  However, I was able to get a sense of what he was doing.  He had projected a video of what I am pretty sure was a scenery of a house onto a brick wall that lined a very narrow ally way.  I loved where this piece was displayed and how he decided to use video projection as his means of display the work.  The alleyway hard to find and not a place anyone would normally think to wander into to view art, and I think that is one of the reasons it was such a successful piece in my eyes.

Another artist I loved was John W. Wood.  He used mixed media on paper to create these amazing flower-like images.  One of his pieces in particular was titled Look Toward the Sunset.  This work was 59 x 59 x 2.25, so it was very large.  The colors used were incredibly bright and made my entire spirit wake up and become giddy.  It immediately brought a smile to my face.  I actually had a hard time leaving this particular gallery because I loved Wood’s pieces so much.

             This was only my second time attending the Santa Fe Art Walk, however, I wandered into a couple of galleries down there from time to time whenever I get a chance.  I have found that each time I go to Santa Fe there are always new and different types of art featured that pull on my emotions in ways art never has before and really opens my eyes to the kinds of art that exist.  It is a great place to gain insight and draw inspiration from.

Cultural Event #2

Changing Landscapes

I recently went to the exhibition called ‘Changing Landscapes: Themes in Nineteenth Century French and American Painting’ that is taking place in the Victoria H. Myhren Gallery right now.  I was really blown away by some of the art that was featured.  Because I have never been a strong painter I have always really admired people who can create beautiful painted works.

One of the pieces I really connected with was one done by Curtis Chamberlin.  It did not have a title, but he used watercolor on paper to paint a beautiful and slightly somber image of a huge autumn tree with cattle grazing around it.  What I loved most about this painting was how Chamberlin used a large array of colors to create the shadow and the shading underneath the tree in the forefront.  Looking at the picture takes me back to my hometown of Sun Valley when I was around eight years old.  I lived near a field where they would let cattle graze in it every fall, and this image reminds me of the times I would walk with my mom to the field and watch the cattle as the sun would set.  

Cultural Event #1

Ballet Hispanico

I recently went to Ballet Hispanico, and it was absolutely amazing!  For starters, I love dance, I grew up dancing and it is a huge passion of mine, so I knew that I wanted to go to this performance just because it was dance.  However, I did not expect what this ballet gave me.  It was so different from any other ballet performance I have been to.

            Ballet Hispanico was so upbeat and exciting.  The Latin music gave the performance something very different than an American or French origin ballet.  The mixing of Jazz and Modern choreography with Latin drums and trumpets made me want more.  One of my favorite parts about the performance was how much more erotic or sexual it was in a way than say something like Swan Lake.  In a way it reminded me a little bit of the movie Chicago.  It had so much emotion that was tension filled, and almost sexually driven.

            My favorite dance was I think a Tango.  It had two men and one woman.  She was caught in between these two men who both want her.  There was so much tension throughout the whole dance.  The woman was an absolutely amazing dancer, and her presence on stage made you keep wanting more and more.  She made me really want to learn Tango, and study abroad in Central or South America.

            The movements and routines are Latin inspired, so there is much more use of the hips and free flowing movements.  It was not as structured in many of the dances.  However, at the same time the performance was graceful and beautiful.  For me, Ballet Hispanico really found this very happy medium between a ballet and street performance-esque quality.  I wish that I could go again!

Incredible!

The new UK Honda Accord.  This video was created to showcase the new car and its features.
It took the ad team over 650 tries to finally get the final video.  They did not use any computer graphics or special effects, this is amazing!

Enjoy!

Inspirations 11/13

#1:

Inspiring? Baffling? Wrong? Depressing? Needed?

#2:

This video depicts how media has been used, and how it will be used and distributed in the years to come.  I found it a little disturbing...

Kinecting Ideas

Kinect Photography
While trying to find some inspiration for my final project, this female photographer popped up on Google.  Audrey Penven uses the infrared light from the XBox Kinect to take amazing photographs.  I have attached the link to an article done by CBSNews about an installation she recently did in Emeryville, CA.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-501465_162-10009547.html?tag=page

XBox Kinect Installation in Munich, Germany

Happy Halloweenspirations!

Gnarls Barkley- Crazy (Music Video

Running Expressions -- Created using Max/MPS/Jitter

Inspirations!!!

Gravilux!

I have used this app on one of my friends iPads and it is one of the coolest apps EVER!!!
These are different examples of people's artwork:

Aden in Eden Scratch Project

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/coppearlix/1445964

Inspirations 1 and 2

Curatorial Statement and Sources Overview

Curator Statement

Additive Manufacturing is quickly gaining momentum all throughout the world whether it be within consumer objects or textiles.  It is changing the way designers design and manufacturers create.  Designers such as Janne Kyttanen and companies like Materialise are using the new media technology of the 3D printer to create objects the reflect old school ideals.  Before Henry Ford introduced assembly production that enabled consumers to receive identical products all throughout the world., each product was made specifically for each person that it was going to.  Additive manufacturing has the capability of creating products that are unique and personalized, yet produce them at an exponentially faster rate then today’s assembly line production can additive manufacturing allows for absolute personalization of products, textiles, and apparel. 

            Through more research it is possible that this technology could be one of the answers to creating a more sustainable textiles industry.  Additive manufacturing has the potential to be a cradle-to-cradle design practice, where after a garment or household objet is ready to be thrown out, it is sent back to the printing plant to be broken down so as to be built into something new.  There will be no more wasted scraps of fabric, and middlemen.  Additive manufacturing is going to change the way we design and create products, just as Henry Ford did back in 1903.

Sources:

http://www.protocam.com/html/additive-manufacturing.html

-       Additive Manufacturing

http://www.ecouterre.com/are-3d-printed-fabrics-the-future-of-sustainable-textiles/3d-printer-fabric-7/

-       Rapid Manufacturing

-       Wearable technology

http://designlectures.com/2011/06/25/recycle-the-melonia-shoe-and-it-need-never-go-out-of-fashion/

-       Melonia Shoe

-        

http://design-milk.com/invisible-shoes-by-andreia-chaves/#ixzz1aLXRu2Pd

-       Andreia Chavez and the Invisible Shoe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3uyXPEzPpc

-       Janne Kyttanen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM0t0o-Q3fw

-       Melonia Shoe Video

Artist and Designer websites:

Naim Josefi

http://www.naimjosefi.com/

http://www.beckmans.se/naim-josefi/

Janne Kyttanen

http://jannekyttanen.com/

http://www.freedomofcreation.com/

Materialise

http://www.materialise.com/

http://www.mgxbymaterialise.com/

Andreia Chaves

http://www.andreiachaves.com/

Rapid Manufacturing

What is Rapid Prototyping/ Additive Manufacturing?


Rapid prototyping is the construction of virtual 3D CAD (computer aided designs) images into 3D objects.  Rapid Prototyping first came about during the late 80s, it allowed designers to create 3D prototypes of their potential designs.  Over time these the ability of these 3D printers grew exponentially.  It was now possible for these printers to create actual finalized objects that could be manufactured and sold to consumers.  These term rapid prototyping soon became known as additive manufacturing.


How does Additive Manufacturing work?


Designers and engineers create 3D CAD images and objects on the computer, this information is then sent to a 3D printer where they are constructed.  The printer deconstructs the CAD images into individual layers to be able build the object layer by layer.

Janne Kyttänen, Product Designer and Rapid Prototype Innovator

Janne Kyttanen started a company called Freedom of Creation that uses rapid prototyping to create a variety of manufactured objects.  He believes strongly in rapid prototyping and thinks that it could be the future of manufacturing in both textiles and products.

Pros:

- Reduces over and under production

- Has minimal labor

- Minimizes waste -- No molds, no stock products

- Exponentially faster than traditional manufacturing

Some of his products include mud mats for cars, full length dresses, light fixtures, stools, benches, as well as personal client-asked for objects.

Andreia Chaves

Andreia Chaves is a Brzilian designer to is exploring the potential of 3D printing within the fashion industry.  She worked with Janne Kyttanen to construct a pair of high fashion shoes.  They were debuted at this years Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  She titled them the Invisible Shoes.  The shoes are manufactured using both conventional leather sewing techniques and Kyttanen's 3D printing technology.  Invisible Shoes will be launched for retail in Asia, starting in Beijing in three different versions.

Materialise


Materialise was started in 1990 in Belgium.  It is now a large company of about 800 employees.  They have the largest amount of additive manufacturing equipment in Europe and strive to bring 3D printing technology and software into the consumer product and medical practice arenas around the world.


Focusing on consumer products, Materialise not only creates intricate and beautiful designs, but they are also extremely practical.  Some of their designs have been featured at the MoMa in New York City, and are for retail online.


One of the most intriguing aspects of Materialise is besides their extensive library of consumer product designs they allow the consumer to create their own 3D CAD image, which Materialise then prints and ships to them.

Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf


The last designers I want to point out, worked closely with Materialise last year to create a pair of shoes solely out of 3D printing plastic polymides.  The Melonia Shoe was designed by two people,  Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf, who then sent the design to Belgium where Materialise had it made.  Only five pairs of the Melonia Shoe was manufactured and were revealed and used in the Stockholm Fashion Show last year.


The idea behind this shoe is to create a somewhat cradle to cradle product.  In other words, a product that does not ever die, it can be reused and recycled over and over again.

The future of additive manufacturing...


- Allows for specialized design and creation processes within the product and textiles industries.  We do away with the conventional "one-size fits all" logic, and allow for each person to make objects and clothing that are made specially for them and the way they want it.
- Technology and design process is much faster and efficient than conventional manufacturing so it would speed up productivity and decrease the amount of middle-men needed for production.
- Body scanning will allow designers the ability to create garments for consumers without having to take a single physical measurement.  It can all be done through a computer.
- It is more sustainable.  No more needle and threat.  No more wasted scraps of fabric.  Clothes and objects are created using only what is needed.  
-

Photo Mashup

For my photo mashup I wanted to deal with the problem of large corporations stomping on the environment.  I became a vegetarian five years ago, after learning that not eating meat is the largest way to lower my carbon footprint.  When trying to decide on a company to showcase, it seemed that McDonald's would be an obvious target, because they are so well know and have little to no environmental protection standards.
I started with Ronald McDonald, and this concept of him killing the environment.  I went about illustrating the kill through the use of a live tree hanging from a noose.  I like how Ronald McDonald's facial expression permeates such happiness, and he looks so pleased to be killing the environment.
I then wanted to play off of McDonald's slogan of "I'm Lovin' it".  I took the same type face and changed the message to "What's to love?".  This word exchange makes the viewer really think about the companies they are supporting and whether or not eating a Big Mac is really worth it in the overall scheme of things.
To strengthen my argument, I decided to turn this mashup into a GreenPeace advertisement.  GreenPeace is a very vocal environmental protection organization.  I wanted my piece to be simple and to the point, which I think comes across really nicely.  It is not too in your face and over the top so as to not make the viewer overwhelmed, but still question McDonald's practices and their potential actions of eating at McDonalds.

Sources:

Tree

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodo-bird/537734614/

GreenPeace

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jemanlin/1418824186/

Nuse

http://www.flickr.com/photos/victorianlondon/5956993315/

Ronald McDonald

http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/leave-ronald-mcdonald-alone/

Walking Again with E Legs

I had the privilege of seeing this presentation live at TEDxDU last year, and it this technology is absolutely amazing.  This woman's story about being able to walk again with the help of this bionic technology is truly inspirational.

Tempt

The Fate of our World...

Just for a little laugh :)

Language of New Media Response

            Language of New Media really taught me a lot about the birth and ever-changing face of new media.  I really enjoyed reading the section that discussed how modern media came about during the time of the Industrial Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution was when Henry Ford introduced factory line production.  It relied on two main principles, first was “standardized parts”, and the second was this new concept of breaking down the production process into simple and repetitive steps that could be “executed by workers who did not have to master the entire process and could be easily replaced”(29).  This is how modern media relates so strongly to the industrial revolution.  It aims to make electronic media both accessible and comprehendible to any and every person.  Modern media was also invented in order to connect people, ideas, and information in the easiest and fastest way possible.

            Automation is one of the principles of new media.  Examples of automation would be artificial intelligence and video games.   Automation is so exciting because there is still so much to be discovered with it.  We are currently building virtual theaters and actors with new media who adjust their actions based on what the user does.  For instance, on iChat there is an automated “person” that I used to instant message with sometimes when I was in middle school.  I liked IM with “him” because I was able to type “hangman” and hangman would pop up on the screen.  Based on what I would type, he would respond with an appropriate answer that allowed for conversations to be, for the most part, the same as if I was talking to a real person.  CollegeHumor.com also does a very funny skit on new media and the future of automation, called Auto Phone Sex.  It pokes fun at our society and how we are becoming so dependent on technology that one day we will even go so far as to having automated tellers for phone sex.

After the readings we also brought up using new media as a learning tool.  It is very exciting that modern media is now making it possible for kids to learn in every type of way.  This technology becomes really beneficial for kinesthetic learners.  XBox Connect Uses an infrared grid to tell how far away from the camera the user is (IR Cam), and uses a regular camera in order to view the actual person (Web Cam).  Kids can now learn dance moves, sport movements (learning proper techniques for swinging a bat), etc.  New media could be a breakthrough-learning tool for kids across the nation.

Variability within media allows each user to personalize it took make it their own.  For example, websites such as StumbleUpon, Google, and Pandora all allow each user to decide what kind of information or media to view or hear at any particular time.  We are now able to control the types of media and information we surround ourselves with.  This sorting and customization of data is done without us even asking.  Today’s computers can take your user history and customize information based on prior and past search history, in order to make your Internet surfing experience as personal as possible.

            New media is both exciting and a little scary.  Technology is evolving and media is changing so fast that we have to make sure that we can keep up with it, and make sure society is accepting of it.

To see the College Humor video, click on the link below:

(Just a little heads up, it is a little inappropriate but goes hand in hand with automation)

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/3548526/auto-phone-sex

What do you see?

I have always been really intrigued to optical illusions and abstract face art.  I think that optical illusions that are well done are some of the coolest things ever!  I have always been jealous of the artists that have the ability to take random object, scenes, body parts, etc. and put them together to create an image of something real such as a face or an animal.  I posted some of my favorite ones below.  Enjoy!

My Keepon

I found an interesting article on Wired Magazine's website about a new gadget called a My Keepon.  This blob-like creature was originally invented by a woman as a tool to help autistic kids.  My Keepons respond to sounds and touch.  They dance to whatever music might be playing around them using ultrasonic beat sensors and react differently to actual physical interaction humans have with them.  These creatures have become so popular that within the next year they will be for sale in stores around the nation for people to take home.

I am a little surprised that a gadget like this is gaining so much momentum.  It is funny to see that our society is taking new age technology such as this and using it in such a mundane way.  My Keepons started off as a tool to help researchers understand how autistic children learn best, and are now turning into a silly blob that people clutter their desks with.  It seems a little contradictory to me, because we created new media and new technology to help "de-clutter" our lives, yet My Keepons will do the exact opposite for the random person that feels compelled to spend $50 to take one home as their own.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/09/dancing-my-keepon-robot/

RIP: A Remix Manifesto

I really enjoyed RIP: A Remix Manifesto, a documentary on copyright laws within the US.  It sheds light on the unrealistic and overbearing copyright laws and regulations in the US and they are impacting the creation of a new pop culture.  The documentary focuses on one artist in particular, Girl Talk, who has created music mash-ups using thousands of pop songs both new and old.

            I had no knowledge of copyright laws prior to watching this documentary, so I found it very informative.  One of the facts I found most interesting and disheartening is that when it comes to copyright infringement, it is less about whether these artists are breaking the law than who they’re messing with.  Copyright laws are all dependent on whose music or films are being mashed up and how mad they are. These laws make it easy for large record label companies to annihilate mash-up artists because they own the rights to a large percent of popular music.

            After watching RIP, I was left feeling frustrated because the US is enacting laws that suppress new ideas, collaborative thinking, innovation, and modern art.  The US is so afraid to embrace new ideas because of this fear of losing the conservative values and traditions it was built upon.  However, what many of our lawmakers don’t realize is that by not permitting this mash-up culture we are abandoning one of our core values– freedom of expression. These ridiculous copyright laws do not give artists the freedom to create and re-create brilliant works of art using earlier works as inspiration for their own. 

At one point in RIP, DJ Marlboro from Brazil said, “Originality is mixing two things together that have never been mixed before”.  Amen!  So much of what I create is ripped off of other artists I have come across, just like every other artist.  In order to broaden our own artistic horizons we look to others for inspiration.  When something intrigues us, we pull it apart, mix it up, and mash it together with other ideas we have seen and/or come up with ourselves, and the end product is a new and completely original piece of work that we call ours. 

Social Media Websites

At dinner last night, I was talking with a family friend about social media websites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.com.  He is the CEO of a large chain of retail stores in the United States, and this past week the company released a deal via LivingSocial that gave participants a $20 for $10 coupon.  Because of the store's popularity, the coupon sold out within a couple of hours and sold at an average of 30 per second.  Not only was my friend thrilled, but it also showed him how much our society is changing and embracing the techno and electronic world.
It is very exciting how technology is constantly changing and reshaping the way humans interact, obtain knowledge, and discover new ideas.  This is one of the reasons why I became so interested in electronic media, and I am very excited to be part of it.

Laser Cutting- New Age Tailoring

It seems that more and more designers around the globe are swapping the sewing machine out for a laser cutter.  One company in particular named Gemesco has created a laser cutting machine that is able to cut fabrics.  This type of technology has the ability to greatly impact the clothing and textiles industry, because it allows for clothes to be manufactured more quickly, precisely, and potentially cheaper in the long run.  eurolaser.com points out some of the other benefits of this laser cutting technology:

• Laser engraving, laser marking and laser cutting all in one step
• No tool wear - no loss of quality
• No material fixation required due to contact-free and force-free processing 
• Smooth, clean cutting edges; no reworking necessary
• No fraying of the fabric: lint-free & clean
• In the case of synthetic fibres: formation of a fused seam
• Internal and external contours always in the same consistent high edge quality

I first learned about laser cutting within the clothing industry when I came across a clothing designer named, Diane Eng, who had done a series of tees, tops, and scarves with a laser cutter.  Although I was not a huge fan of her style and designs, I found the idea to be brilliant.  A dream of mine is to start my own sustainable clothing company, so this new idea really resonated with me.

I then stumbled upon two other designers who I found absolutely amazing, Marchesa and Lily Heine.  To see more images of both designers work and to learn more about them, click on the link, http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/blog/the-techno-atelier—the-fashion-labs-of-today, which will take you to another blog which talks about the designers a little bit more in detail.  

Marchesa creates laser cut gowns that are the most beautiful, creative, and artistic pieces of clothing I have ever seen.  Her designs are below:

 Lily Heine creates clothes that look as if they are made using a 3D printer.  She has a very modern and sophisticated style that is amplified through her use of the laser cutter.  I have posted some photos of her work below:

Hello Friends!

Welcome to the wonderful world of eMagical Ideas!
Enjoy!